Packed with answers to the remaining questions raised in the story, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha episode 15 paraded an emotional chapter.
Finally, we got the full picture of what happened to the hero of the series. Thankfully, he has an understanding lover backing him up to let go of an emotional pain he has been nursing for a while.
abbyinhallyuland watched Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha on Netflix
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Finale Episode + Review |
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Episode 15 Key Moments
“He’s nothing short of a murderer.”
No one was prepared for Do-ha’s rage. In front of the Gongjin people, he throws harsh words at Du-sik blaming him for causing his father’s paralysis.
He mocks his kind facade while hiding in the village after causing irreparable pain to people who trusted him.
Hye-jin follows Du-sik who affirms what Do-ha said is true. He killed a friend he is deeply indebted to.
Processing the words she heard from him, Hye-jin took a few steps away. Later, she cries her heart out to Mi-seon. At that same moment, Du-sik struggles alone in his place.
The next day, Gongjin terribly misses Du-sik who has went off-grid. The villagers worry about him and he remains locked in his own world. Grandma Gam-ri brings food to him.
However, when she returns to bring more, the previous food remains untouched. Back in Seoul, Do-ha interrupts PD Ji and writer Wang who was on the brink of confronting the romantic line dangling between them.
Do-ha tells PD Ji how his father almost died after the money he invested vanished when an investment company where Du-sik worked as fund manager went downhill.
“I’m so happy that I can’t stop crying.”
Finding his parents in an embrace, I-jun learned of their reconciliation. Totally understanding of it, he excused himself to play with Bora.
But when his parents noticed he has been out long, they called Bora and learn that I-jun was not there. Bora’s family helps I-jun’s parents search for him. When he was found at the playground, Hwajeong carefully asks if he’s uncomfortable with them back together.
Her wise beyond his years’ son replies how happy he was that he can’t stop crying. I-jun cryingly confessed how he wants to eat with them as a family even if it’s not his birthday or if he won an award.
“You can cry if you want. It must’ve been so hard for you.”
Bringing Grandma Gam-ri’s food inside, Hye-jin checks on the gaunt-looking Du-sik who silently sits in his home. She declares cooking something for him but as she motions to do it, he breaks his silence. As promised, the thing he wanted to reveal last time, he finally told her.
He chronicles how he has a senior friend in college who took care of him well. His name is Jeong-woo They’d become so close and he took him to become a fund manager albeit it has nothing to do with his major.
He decided to work because Jeong-woo said how fund manager gives hope to ordinary people that they can become rich. That’s where he met Do-ha’s father, who worked as a security guard at YK Asset Management company.
After giving him contact information for his investment plan, he was not able to check that Do-ha’s father invested his money wrongly and was affected by a big finance company bankruptcy that impacted key businesses.
Working overtime, Du-sik and Jeong-woo learned about Do-ha’s father’s attempted suicide. Blaming himself for not answering his calls, he rushes to go to the hospital. But Jeong-woo insists on driving since Du-sik can barely move with his panic attacks.
En route to the hospital, Jeong-woo assures him that everything will be okay. However, they met a car accident killing Jeong-woo in the process.
With tears welling in her eyes, Hye-jin embraces Du-sik and urges him to cry since he must have carried the pain alone for a long time. She assures him that he can be sad when he’s with her and that he can show his pain.
“What a stroke of bad luck to everyone.”
Driving to Gong-jin for additional footage, Ji PD revealed to Do-ha how his brother-in-law is a friend of Du-sik. He died when they were trying to go to the hospital to check on his father.
Being rational, he tells Do-ha how it was an unfortunate thing that happen to all of them but Du-sik definitely suffered because of it immensely.
Cho-hui drops by at Hwajeong’s place to grab some soup since she just got her wisdom tooth pulled out. Clearing once more that she does not like Yeong-guk then and now, she finally confessed that Hwajeong is the person she likes.
Acknowledging her confession, Hwajeong apparently knew it even before and apologizes for not being able to reciprocate it in a romantic way. But it does not mean that she does not like her as a person.
Du-sik finds Do-ha sitting in his yard. He apologizes again for what happened. Do-ha confirms if he gave money to help his family and a backstory reveals how he gave Do-ha’s mom compensation money.
Taking Du-sik’s intention was feeling pity for his family, Do-ha learns how the last conversation shared by Du-sik and his father was about his wife and son. How he wants to provide a better life for them.
Do-ha blames himself for pushing his father in dabbling to investment because at that time he was hopelessly seeking a job. But Du-sik assures him of how proud his father is for having a son like him. Finally clearing all misunderstandings, they cleared out their bottled emotions.
Hye-jin goes with Du-sik to visit Jeong-woo but they bump on his wife and son who came to see him at Gongjin.
After a quiet chat, she assures Du-sik that she does not resent him anymore so he has to forgive himself as well. An epiphany of Jeong-woo encouraging him to let go of everything also happened while he stares at Jeong-woo’s family and Hye-jin.
“Keep smiling. Don’t think twice about whether or not you should smile or be happy. Don’t think too much. Just smile.”
Emancipating himself from overstaying anguish in his heart, Du-sik finally smiles. He also confesses to Hye-jin how he almost committed suicide the day he learned Jeong-woo died.
Thankfully, he receives a text message from Grandma Gam-ri that she was in Seoul. Returning to his hometown, he told her how Gongjin saved him.
He narrates how the people kept on checking him, giving him food when he was still emotionally coping. He remarks how they made him do trivial things which he can now assess as intentional for him to be revived to live meaningfully.
She thanks him for mustering the courage to say everything. When he asked about the thing she wants to say as well. Hye-jin shares her offer to teach in Seoul.
The three grandmas sleepover at Grandma Gam-ri’s house and reminisce their younger years. They also whine about being old. But Grandma Gam-ri feels happy to be old since she can look back to her memories.
“Look around yourself closely, and you’ll realize that you’re surrounded by many precious things.”
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha Episode 15 Musings
For its penultimate episode, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha took us to a party of touching scenes. Consider you’re forewarned, but prepare some tissue rolls because you might need them.
This episode teaches us about how we tend to find something or someone to blame when something unfortunate happens. Also, it emphasized how self-forgiveness is a process that won’t happen overnight.
Do-ha bravely accepts his misgiving along with Du-sik’s apology. He is well aware that the latter can’t be blamed, thus, finally sealing the closure between them. That and his conversation with Jeong-woo’s wife led to Du-sik finally claiming a long-overdue acceptance of forgiving himself.
I-jun’s emotional outburst caught me off guard. It just shows how every child’s dream is as simple as creating memories with family. Meanwhile, the scene of the grandmothers’ late chat reminds us how reaching an elderly age gifts someone the luxury of celebrating a life, regardless of how it was lived.
The closing scene of this episode would surely hit Du-sik heavily. So, we really hope that his love story with Hye-jin would settle for a compromise that would not make him leave Gongjin, but would not force her to stay.
The final episode of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is up on Netflix! Stay tuned for my final episode recap + review.
Photos/Videos: tvN
[wpedon id=”3227″ align=”center”]
